Donald Trump announced on Monday that the war with Iran would continue moving forward, even though he had moments earlier suggested that the conflict might soon come to an end. Trump ordered more than two dozen new B-2 Spirit stealth bombers as he said the U.S. military has already hit over 5,000 targets as the war with Iran moves into its second week.
The president shared the sweeping update on the ongoing conflict with Iran while speaking from his golf resort in Doral, Florida. "You said the war is 'very complete.' But your defense secretary says, 'this is just the beginning.' So which is it?" a reporter asked the president.
Trump Makes U-Turn
The president gave a blunt but somewhat confusing reply. "You could say both," he said. Later Monday night, he issued a stern warning to Iran, saying it would face "Death, Fire, and Fury" if it tries to shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
"If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
"Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!"
Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps pushed back against Trump's remarks by issuing a blunt response about how it sees the future of the war.
"We are the ones who will determine the end of the war," the statement read.
After Trump earlier hinted that the conflict might be nearing an end, the stock market managed to recover from what had been a rough trading session. U.S. oil prices also dropped sharply, falling to $86 a barrel from $91 after he suggested the possibility of taking control of the Strait of Hormuz.
By the end of the day, the Dow finished 200 points higher despite earlier plunging nearly 900 points at its lowest point. The S&P 500 rose 0.8 percent, while the Nasdaq bounced back to close up 1.4 percent after at one stage falling as much as 1.5 percent.
Trump's Big Claims
Trump also claimed that the Islamic Republic now effectively has "no Navy," saying 46 of its ships have been sunk to the bottom of the Gulf and near the coast of Sri Lanka. According to him, one of the main goals of Operation Epic Fury was to destroy Iran's naval forces.
He added that Iran now has "no air force" either and has lost radar systems, telecommunications, anti-aircraft defenses, and—most importantly—much of its leadership. Trump said the country's military drone capability has already been reduced to about 25 percent and is expected to drop to zero soon, while most of its missiles have been destroyed.
However, Trump admitted that the nation's second-in-command, Vice President JD Vance, has been "less enthusiastic" about the war.
Vance, 41, a veteran of the Iraq War known for his strong anti-interventionist views, is "philosophically a little bit different" from the president, Trump explained.
"We get along very well on this. He was, I would say, philosophically a little bit different than me. I think he was maybe less enthusiastic about going, but he was quite enthusiastic."
Trump quickly added: "But I thought it was something we had to do. I didn't feel we had a choice."
